He was of Leaf, She was of Sand
by Temari of the Desert
Summary: Naruto has been feeling something strange and unknown towards Temari. After pondering his feelings for her, he goes out to search for her. Oneshot. Yes, Naruto x Temari. Rated for safety. FINISHED
1. He was of Leaf, She was of Sand Naruto

**Title: He was of Leaf, She was of Sand**

Pairing: NarutoxTemari 

**Summary: Naruto has been feeling something strange and unknown towards Temari. After pondering his feelings for her, he goes out to approach her. One-shot.**

_Start_

Whenever Temari was around, there was some sort of comfort between him and her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was different... even unknown to him. It didn't make him feel bad... in fact, it was quite the opposite. He felt happy and ready to do anything when she was around. He liked the feeling... It was like an addictive drug, tempting him, capturing him, making him believe he can't live without it.

He didn't quite understand the feelings he had suddenly developed for her. Three years ago, when they had first met, he hadn't even acknowledged her. But now, three years later, suddenly being around her, makes him suddenly wishing that he could be around her so much more... the warm feeling in his chest when he was around her... he wanted to feel it all the time. It was like a drug... exactly like a drug.

She was his drug.

He couldn't identify the feeling the first time that he had noticed it. But with some thinking, and some consulting from Jiraiya, he concluded that it had to have been love.

He loved an outsider. A girl from a different village. A girl older than him, even. But with all those feelings, he was scared of being rejected... he knew she would reject him. He knew from the way that the other people treated him in the village. The way they looked at him like he was disgusting... like he wasn't worth enough to breathe the air that he needed to live.

But she wasn't from Konoha.

She was different. She didn't look at him like he was something worthless. She might even have looked at him with a bit of respect. Respect definitely was something he wasn't used to... But why? What had he done to deserve her respect?

He loved her... she respected him. Would that ever change? He didn't even dare hope, that perhaps, someday, she'd love him back. That she'd feel that same warm feeling in her chest every single time she was around him. He didn't even dare dream about it. It was never meant to happen.

He was of Leaf, she was of Sand.

But it wasn't of his nature to run away from anything. Including love. His character didn't allow him to simply forget that warm feeling... something he was so addicted to. Something he knew he couldn't live without. Temari... no he couldn't live without that feeling... the feeling that he felt only towards her. Her and nobody else.

He had to approach her. No matter what. Now was the perfect chance... she was staying in the village. Looking out the window, he noted that it was late in the evening. Perhaps she'd be out training. He had often seen her training out this late... it was probably the only time she had free when she was visiting the village. He assumed she visited for politics.

Sighing, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed, so they hung down for only moments before he slid off the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor. He walked swiftly and purposely towards the door, slipping on his shoes and opening the door, shutting it behind him. He was greeted by the darkening sky and the chilling air._ 'It must be cold for Temari right now... she's used to heat.'_ He thought absentmindedly. He continued walking, his thoughts going on nonchalantly like this, although he could feel his heart racing, and he could hear it in the quiet of the night.

He found Temari training in a area a bit tucked away. He had come here often just to feel that feeling when she was around... he was sure she knew he was there, but she never did anything about it. Never acknowledged his presence, let alone commenting on it.

But this time was different. If she refused to acknowledge his presence on his own, then he'd make her acknowledge him. He did this on many occasions, wanting to be noticed by many people. However this was different. Temari was a girl-- a girl he liked. Someone he wanted more than anyone to acknowledge him. Someone he had to make notice him. No matter what.

"Naruto, its you again, isn't it?" Temari questioned, her voice soft. She halted in her training, turning in the direction that Naruto stood. Naruto could help but take in every bit of her. The way that one hip rose above the other as she stood with one leg holding more weight than the other one. His eyes traced the curves of her body... it was perfect, seemingly flawless. She had her hands on her hips, hands that were so smooth despite the environment that surrounded her. Her eyes weren't unkind, but still not kind either. But when her eyes searched for his, he could see a certain gentleness in them. He allowed himself to lock eyes with hers, and spoke softly.

"Yeah its me." He responded, although it was unnecessary, since she had already turned to him and proved herself right. "Out training again, I see." He said calmly, in an almost out of character manner. He felt the need to be calm right at this moment.

"Yes. I notice you've been watching me train a lot lately. Is there any reason for it?" She wasn't going to dodge around the main subject. She wasn't going to be set astray by side comments or sentences meant to be distractions. She was frank, almost so honest it hurt. Honesty. It was one of the many qualities he admired about her...

"No, there really is no reason for it." He lied. He couldn't just tell her that he liked being around her. He walked towards her, lessening the space between them. He was in front of her now, and he now stood a half a head higher than her, but when he had first met her, he had been shorter than her. But she looked like she had hardly grown at all. "Temari..." he said softly, a certain gentleness in his voice, a tone reserved specially for her, and her alone.

She froze at the tone in his voice. It was soft and gentle, a tone she had never heard him speak in before. It was far more gentle than his usual yelling and protesting. Even more gentle than his usual chattering. She had never heard anything like it before. "...what?" She managed to say. The way he said her name... it made her melt in place.

"Temari..." he pressed his lips gently against hers. He savored his taste for seemingly minutes, although it was just a few seconds. He pulled away quickly, knowing that what he had done was wrong. He had kissed someone he knew didn't love him back. He wasn't supposed to be loved... he was hated by everyone. He muttered softly, loud enough for her, still in that special tone for her, "...I'm sorry." He turned lightly on his heels, walking towards the buildings of the village. He felt something soft grip his arm, and swing him around and suddenly his lips were met with something soft and warm.

Temari's lips against his. His eyes widened a bit in confusion, his eyelids fluttering up and down several times in a blinking motion. He looked at her for a moment, wanting to see her eyes. He wanted to see the reason why she was kissing him. He wanted to know, but her eyes were closed. He stood there for seemingly minutes, lost for what to do. Temari's eyes fluttered open, staring directly into his. He could feel her arms wrap around his neck and pull him closer to her. Very suddenly, she broke the kiss, her lips forming a small smile at the corners of her mouth.

He was silent, lost in his own thoughts. Temari had just kissed him. Sabakuno Temari. The Temari that he often watched train. The Temari he discovered his love for. That Temari. He was speechless. He didn't know what to say, but the silence between them was deafening. He stole a look at her. She was still quite close to him, the look on her face was soft and gentle. He had never seen her look at anyone like that. He had that warm feeling in his chest again, the feeling he was so addicted to. She caused that feeling. That wonderful feeling that he couldn't get when he was with anyone else.

"...You don't have to be sorry." Temari's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. A smile was still threatening to overtake her lips, as she stared at him, her eyes searching his, while his searched hers. Both knew what the other was looking for. They both knew they were looking for proof of what they felt. Both of them found confirmation. They needn't have to say anything. They knew that they both had found something in each other that they could never find in someone else.

They found love.

For Naruto, it was a relief that he could be loved by someone. After all the years of being treated horribly by the villagers, he had began to doubt his humanity. But the feelings he had for her... they were definitely human. He wanted to feel the feeling that had been absent from his life. Love.

For Temari, it was proof that she had the ability to love someone. That she could actually begin to understand and share the same feeling with someone of the other gender. It was that wonderful feeling that had been vague to her. Love.

He was of Leaf, she was of Sand.

But that didn't matter. Or at least, they didn't think it did. It didn't matter really, as long as they could be together. As long as they could know that the other loved them.

Naruto put one hand behind his back, and gently, pushed one of his legs against both of his, making her legs fall out from underneath her. Before she could fall, however, he slipped his other hand behind her knees and hauled her up in his arms so she leaned against his chest. The expression on her face was that clearly of surprise. She hadn't been expecting that all. He grinned a little at her, "Its cold out here, isn't it?" He asked softly. He didn't need her to reply to know the answer. He turned, and began to walk back towards the village. He glanced down at her form in his arms. For the first time, he noticed how tattered she was from training. 'She must be exhausted...' he thought, noting several bruises on her arms, as well as a scratch on her cheek and a few rips in her sleeves. She had probably been training longer today than usual... her clothes were dirty, with spots of dirt here and there. "...are you tired?" He questioned her.

"...no." She lied, pointing to a bench, she said, "Come on. Let's go sit over there."

Naruto smiled a little, walking over to the bench, and sitting her down, then taking the spot to her right. Temari looked uncomfortable, like she wanted to say something, but she didn't have enough courage to do so. There was a light blush on her cheeks, which made her look cuter than usual in Naruto eyes. "You're cute when you blush you know."

That made the light pink turn to a darker pink, "...T-thanks, I guess." She wasn't used to this. She wasn't used to be complimented on her looks. Sure, being complimented on her skills as a ninja was no problem, she was used to that. But on other, more personal things, that was something different. For some reason, this mad her think of her mother, who had died when she was three years old. She had one distinct memory, when she had told Temari that she loved her, and that she was prettier than she could have ever hoped. Whenever she thought about this, the sickening feeling of sadness washed over her, and it must have showed on her face.

"...is there something wrong, Temari?" Naruto asked, looking at her with concern.

"No... I'm just tired." Temari half lied. Naruto gave her a look that clearly told Temari that he didn't buy it. But rather than questioning her farther on it, he picked her up again, gently, just like before. This time, he started walking towards the place she was staying while she was in Konoha. It was an apartment, used on and off by important people from other villages. By this time, Temari had fallen asleep in his arms. He opened the door, and was careful not to bump her head against the doorframe, taking her inside the apartment. He found the bedroom easily, sliding Temari underneath the covers. He kissed her on the forehead, and turned to leave, when he heard a soft, sleepy voice talk to him.

"Naruto... I love you."

Naruto turned towards the bed, to see Temari with her eyes half open. "I love you to, Temari." He responded, in return. A smile formed on her lips, and her eyes fluttered shut. Knowing that Temari was sleeping, he quietly left, slipping out into the night. He looked up at the darkening sky, and knew, that he had exactly what he wanted right now. He had Temari.

Yes, he was of Leaf, she was of Sand.

_End  
_

Author's Note: Yes. This is an unusual pairing in Naruto, I know. But I've found it very adorable, and actually, more likely than some of the other pairings I've seen. This was very random, one day, after trying to find fanart for this pairing (no I wasn't successful…) I decided to write a fic to share the love. Review.


	2. He was of Leaf, She was of Sand Temari

That's REALLY funny that Elijah Snow said something about Temari's feelings, 'cause I was thinking the same exact thing. And that, is why, I was already writing THIS, amazing isn't it?

As for how simple the plot is, that was a goal. It wasn't really supposed to be complex.

Elijah Snow, I really appreciate your review.

Okay, this is basically the exact same event, only more towards Temari's side.

**He was of Leaf, She was of Sand (Temari's Version)**

**Start**

Temari was at home. Or rather, a small apartment in Konoha that she called home as long as she was here. She sighed, bringing her knees up to her chest. She should probably go out training soon... it was kind of like an unspoken agreement, Temari would go out and train, Naruto would watch.

She never talked to him. She never acknowledged that he was there. She just trained.

But she knew he was there. Why he was there that is what was bothering her. But she didn't dare hope that the blonde haired boy had any feelings for her. He was probably just watching out for her as long as she was in Konoha. Probably something Gaara set up.

That's what she told herself. Every single time.

Oh its probably something Gaara set up. Or perhaps he wants to watch to get ideas. What ideas he'd get, was beyond her. She supposed there could be things... but that isn't what she wanted to believe at all.

She was attracted to him, more like pulled towards him like she was metal and he was the magnet. She wanted him to have feelings for her more than anything in the world.

He was of Leaf, she was of Sand.

She brushed her fingers up against her fan, and decided it was time to get going. She didn't have time to ponder things that would never be. She released the grip she had around her knees, letting drape over the side of the bed before she put all of her weight on them. She picked up her fan and smoothly put it on her back, heading towards the door and putting on her shoes. She didn't feel much like training today, but that's where she should be at this time of day.

She should be out training, and Naruto should be watching.

When she approached her normal training area, she let a soft sigh escape her lips before she started. It was cold for her, so if she kept active, then at least she'd be a little warmer. She continued like this for several hours.

Then she finally sensed him. Somehow, she knew he wanted to talk this time around. She was rather tired by now anyway. "Naruto, its you again isn't it?" Her voice surprised even herself. She hadn't ever used that tone of voice before, and she didn't know where it had come from. She turned towards him, allowing herself to just examine him quickly without doing too much of it. Naruto, however, seemed to be memorizing every curve of her body. She searched for his eyes, and he finally allowed her to lock eyes with his.

He spoke very softly, like he was afraid if he took any other tone of voice it would shatter glass. "Yeah its me." He responded. His voice lacked the usual excitement and loud volume. She wondered why. "Out training again, I see."

"Yes. I noticed you've been watching me train a lot lately. Is there a reason for it?" That was all she could ask at the moment. She wanted to know. She wanted to know so she could prove that he would never love her the way that she loved him.

"No, there really is no reason for it." He answered. He approached her, slowly elimating the space between them. She had to look up at him slightly, although he was only about a half a head taller. She hadn't grown much at all... "Temari..."

That almost made her melt in place, the way he said her name. He had never said it with out the '-san' on the end... she liked the way he said it, so gently... so... lovingly? No. She refused to think like that. She knew he didn't feel the same. "..what?" Was all she could manage to say.

"Temari..." He gently pressed his lips against hers. She blinked rapidly, and he pulled away quickly. "...I'm sorry." He told her, still in that soft tone. He turned away, and began to walk.

She wasn't going to let this get away. It was now or never. She had to do it now. She reached her arm out, and gripped his, whirling him around and pressing her own lips against his, letting her eyes close. She had wanted this more than anything... but to think she actually had it... She opened her eyes, hers looking directly into his. She snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She broke the kiss, allowing herself to smile ever so slightly.

After moments of silence, Temari decided to say something, "You don't have to be sorry." It was almost a whisper. She hadn't meant to make it that way, it just came out that way. She searched through his eyes, trying to find what she wanted to believe. She had to stare into his eyes for moments before she could believe that she was, indeed, seeing what she wanted to.

She was seeing the pure love he had for her.

The love she never thought would be returned.

He was of Leaf, she was of Sand.

She felt one of Naruto's hands behind her back, and gently, he pushed one of his legs against both of hers, making her legs collapse under her. She let out a small gasp, but was soon caught by Naruto, who slipped his other free hand behind her knees, and picked her up. She felt him begin to walk, and soon, "...are you tired?" she heard him question.

"No." She lied. She looked around. There was a bench. She pointed to it, "Come on, let's go sit over there."

He smiled a little, walking over to the bench. He sat her down gently, sitting next to her to the right.

Temari was having an inner battle. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but shyness that usually wasn't present was taking over. She felt a light blush come on to her cheeks, and she heard Naruto say:

"You look cute when you blush you know."

She felt the blush turn darker. "...T-thanks I guess." She wasn't used to this, she wasn't used to being complimented on her looks... This made her think of her mother. When her mother told her how pretty she was... how much prettier she was than she could ever have hoped for. She felt the waves of sadness come over her.

"...is there something wrong, Temari?" it was Naruto. She turned her head towards him, seeing his face full of concern.

The best excuse she could think up was something she had lied about, "No... I'm just tired." She saw his doubtful look, but he once again, picked her up bridal style, carrying her home. She closed her eyes, and dozed off.

When she awoke for a moment, she was in her bed, underneath the covers, she was a bit frightened it was a dream for a moment, then she relaxed when she felt Naruto's presence in the room.

This was the perfect chance to say it. And she wasn't going to let it go. "Naruto... I love you."

Naruto turned towards her, and she looked up at him with half open eyes, waiting for his response.

"I love you to, Temari."

**End**


End file.
